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We plan to take a look at various New Zealand companies and ask them to tell us what measures they take to be green and energy efficient. Do they use solar power or what steps do they take to minimise their impact on resources!!!

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Plants

Speak with your utility company about receiving your electric power from a renewable source. Many metropolitan areas get some of their power from hydroelectric, geothermal, solar, or wind-powered plants. Often, the electric company can simply apply a certain amount of your electric bill to renewable energy without you needing to make any other changes.

Don’t throw away that coffee grinds- use them to fertilize your plants. Coffee grinds are rich in nitrogen so these make great, healthy plant food. Using coffee grinds as fertilizer keeps them out of the landfill makes it unnecessary for you to purchase and use chemical plant food, and make your plants grow nicely, adding oxygen to the atmosphere.

Use rainwater to water indoor plants and outdoor shrubs. This water can also be collected and used for kiddie pools and other outdoor water needs. Rain collection buckets are simple to install, and these reduce the amount of city or well water you use each year, saving you money and keeping your yard green.

Savings

As you have read, going greener in the home is not as difficult as some may think and in the long run, produces valuable savings. Considering that we have but one environment to sustain us, we must see to its protection and preservation. Hopefully, this article has provided you with enough information and motivation to begin your green endeavors today!

Converting your home to green energy can provide numerous benefits to you as the homeowner, as well as, to the environment and future generations. In this article, you will learn how to incorporate greener energy into your home, which will save you a considerable amount of money and reduce your carbon footprint.

Before you start incorporating green energy sources into your home, you should cut back on the amount of electricity you use. Make sure you’re not wasting power by leaving things turned on when you’re not using them. This way, when you make the switch over to alternative energy sources, you’ll be more efficient with your energy usage.

Try using energy efficient light bulbs or even LED lights in your home to cut costs for lighting. Turning off the lights when you are not in the room also helps to save energy. Keep this in mind when you are leaving home, as simply turning off the lights saves a lot of energy!

Replace or clean your furnace filter at least once every 90 days, and check it once per month for build-up. Filters can also be installed in every warm air register. This will help keep debris from clogging up heating ducts and becoming inoperable.

If you use fuel oil to heat your home, speak with a technician to see if it’s possible to change to bio-diesel. Some systems can easily be changed to biodiesel without having to make major modifications or installing extra parts. Biodiesel fuel runs more efficiently and is cleaner for the environment, reducing your home’s impact on the environment during winter months.

Simply cleaning or changing the filter on your furnace can cut electricity costs significantly. Too much dirt or dust built up in the vents can make more heat necessary to warm the house. It only takes a short amount of time to clean these, and you will notice the change in your bills!

You can take advantage of solar power without investing in costly installation. Paying attention to window placement, insulation and landscaping are enough. Get rid of any trees that cast a shadow on your home, add more windows if a room is too dark and add insulation in the walls to retain the solar heat.

Solar energy continues to grow in popularity because it is easier and cheaper than ever to get. There are many choices for solar power to suit the needs of homes and businesses everywhere. It is a good choice because it saves money, helps the environment and uses the sun as an endless source of power. One company that encourages solar installations during their bathroom makeovers is North Shore Bathrooms, acording to John the cost can seem high upfront; however over time the payback is significant. John suggests although a solar installation for showers etc will add to the value of the home; it is most beneficial to the clients that intend to stay in their house for many years.

Solar energy through the use of solar panels can last up to 30 years. It is a long-lived use of energy and requires very little maintenance on your part. Since there are no movable parts, solar-energy panels don’t break or need repair. This can provide years of electricity bill savings.

If you are a business owner and you are thinking of changing your energy system over to renewable solar energy, see if you can get any tax deductions for doing so. Often times the government will offer incentives to companies who agree to switch over to a more green energy source.

Try to maximize the sun exposure with the alignment of your panels. When you don’t know what you’re doing, hire an expert to help.

Look into solar powered appliances. There are a number of products that are available that are powered by solar energy. One of the most popular is the solar powered water heaters. Just having one appliance run by solar energy can save you hundreds of dollars each year in energy costs.

Carbon based pollution will be tremendously reduced when cars that are powered by the sun become widely available. However, smaller power generators can use solar power as a power source. Solar powered generators are out now and these are great for power outages that last a long time.

When you are building your own solar panel systems, expect to build multiple arrays for the highest-efficiency. A solar panel can only generate a certain amount of energy–usually a fairly low number–which means that you need more than one panel. Multiple panels in the right spots is a recipe for success.

Outdoor lighting fixtures can be completely powered by solar energy. Search for outdoor fixtures that collect energy from the sun during the day and release it after dark. While these fixtures do not require a lot of energy, these systems are very convenient because there are no electrical wires to run or short out.

Before choosing solar panels, consider the shade around your home. Installing solar panels is unlikely to be a worthy investment if your house is mostly shaded. Shade can inhibit the amount of the sun’s energy you are able to capture, meaning solar panels might not be the most cost effective green option.

Living a green life helps protect the environment and generally helps you save money. By choosing solar energy options such as solar heating, solar hot water heating and solar lighting, you can rest assured that you are helping to save the planet. Keep your solar products free from dirt and debris for best results.

Don’t waste your time lining the solar panels beneath an array of florescent lights–though it may sound tempting. Solar cells are not designed to generate a voltage from fluorescent light sources and this is a waste of energy of time. Any spot in the yard would be a better location for the panels.

Solar energy water heaters are a viable option for those considering the solar energy market but not ready to make a huge investment. A solar water heater carries with it a minimal cost, and it can pay for itself in as little as a year or two. In contrast, solar panels for an entire home are much more expensive, and they sometimes take considerably longer to pay for themselves.

It is vital that the person who installs your solar power system is actually licensed to do so. An installer who is not licensed may install your solar panels incorrectly, or they may violate local regulations. In addition, a licensed installer can provide you with great information about these regulations that an unlicensed installer cannot.

As you can see, there are many reasons for choosing solar power. The popularity of solar power is due to the rising cost of fossil fuels, the growing trend for going green. Switching to solar power can be very easily accomplished and it is a investment that will continue to pay of for years to come.

The Emergence Of The Popularity Of Green Energy And What It Means For You

You already probably know about green energy. You may do a few things, and think that is enough, or you may not have done anything related to green energy since it became such a popular idea. Whatever your experience with green energy, here are some great suggestions to make sure that you can use green energy, at least a little bit.

If you are planning to go greener, you should consider fixing any taps that are leaking. Doing this will decrease the amount of water you use, and as a result, you will have more hot water in your home. This can really help if you are struggling to have enough warm water in the shower.

Do you have a farm? If so, you can rent a portion of it so wind turbines can be installed. You could take advantage of the energy offered and the space requirements are minimal.

When shopping for new appliances, choose the ones where the energy star rating is in the most efficient range. Even if you cannot afford new appliances, you can choose new parts for your old appliances that are much more efficient and will help your old appliances save money and energy like new ones.

You should never use a small amount of warm water all at once. Doing this will just gradually increase your overall energy usage. Instead, try using all the warm water you plan on using immediately. For example, you should try having all your family members take a quick shower at once.

If you are in the process of, or planning to, design your own home, you can build some green energy sources right into your home from the beginning. Start by looking for land that has a water source such as a creek or room for wind turbines. Another good idea is to choose a roof with solar panels built in. You can even position them to get the most out of sunlight.

A green tankless model of water heater can replace a regular tank styled water heater. These heaters only heat water when you need it rather than heating the tank constantly. This saves you on your gas or electricity costs. You can get a tankless heater that will supply the whole house or one that supplies a single hot-water faucet.

If you are seeking to save energy, try not to drive too fast. When a person drives fast, they use too much gasoline, which in turn, wastes energy. Furthermore, when you drive fast and waste too much gasoline, you are going to end up spending way too much money on gas.

Many people who own homes with air-conditioning fail to realize how much energy is used by these units. If you have an air-conditioned home, consider a greener way of cooling off by saving the energy used to cool the air. Try to save air-conditioning for the hottest days. Keep blinds and drapes drawn during the hottest hours and open windows and doors after the sun goes down. Ceiling fans can also help a great deal!

Switch all of your home’s light bulbs to more energy-efficient ones. Even though they may be more pricey than normal bulbs, they will save you money in the long run, by lowering your electricity bill. They not only produce more light than other bulbs, but they also last much longer.

Appliances can be a big, unnecessary energy drain. Find out how much energy each of your appliances are using. Work to replace those larger appliances that are inefficient and outdated, and unplug the smaller ones – like computers and television sets – when they are not in use. Setting all appliances on a timer switch is another way to ensure that you don’t waste energy.

If specific areas of your home feel cold or drafty, then chances are they are not properly sealed or insulated. These deficiencies can greatly increase the cost of heating or cooling your home and are often an easy fix. Seal any holes you identify and get a price estimate for adding insulation to thin walls.

Buy Energy Star products. In the typical home, appliance’s make up about 20 percent of the electricity use. You can purchase products that contain the Energy Saver seal and start saving money on your electric bill and use less of the world’s power sources. In order to carry the Energy Star seal, the appliance has to run efficiently.

A great way to go green is to replace your regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights or LED’s. These light bulbs use about one fifth of the energy as regular light bulbs but can last up to twelve times longer. They also don’t generate as much heat so they are particularly useful in the summer months.

Now that you’ve read a little about how to use green energy, you should have a few ideas in your head to make your home more green. Use the ideas in this article to get you started, and to give you concrete actions you can take today to make sure you are living green.